I’ll bet they do! Good thing I gave it up years ago, but back when my Uncle was still smoking, my Aunt would tell all my cousins that they had to be extra good and quiet around daddy during Ramadan because he was feeling grumpy. 
But smoking is frowned upon in Islam anyway, and Ramadan is a great opportunity for people to quit altogether.
Bibliovore, besides no pork and no alcohol, what other dietary laws are there for Islam? I know pork and certain shellfish are no-no’s for Jews, plus rules on no meat/dairy combos, and so on.
Here’s a brief list:
Shellfish are fine for Muslims, as indeed are all types of seafood. It’s also interesting to note that all Kosher food is considered Halal (permissible) for Muslims as Jews are “People of the Book”. Technically this extends to Christians and Christian food too, but this area is hazier as what constitutes “Christian food” is a matter of debate.
Easter eggs, mince pies and Christmas pudding.
ETA: And big tins of Quality Street.
All fine except for the Christmas pud, as it’s usually soaked in brandy. Communion wafers are good too, but I have to eat a whole box of them in one go to get anywhere near full. 
Anyway, it’s good to see you Kal. Hope you’re well!
Here’s a question - would you be fasting if you were ill or, if your job included heavy manual labour?
If I’m ill, then no. You’re exempt if you’re too young, too old, too sick or pregnant, but sick or pregnant people are expected to make up missed days as soon as they can.
If I’m working heavy manual labour then I *think *I’d still be expected to fast. It would be tougher, no doubt about it, but you could prepare by eating the right foods beforehand, drinking plenty of water and taking in enough salt and electrolytes, etc. Having said that, I don’t think I’d be required to fast if doing so meant putting other people in danger through impaired performance at work.
The whole approach is a rational and sensible one. If fasting will cause actual harm to either yourself or others - you don’t have to do it.
Exactly. Its the primary reason why I don’t do the physical fast – health conditions. Doesn’t exempt me from following all the other aspects of Ramadan however!
So how’s it going for you this year? Are you getting a lot out of it?
Its going pretty well. I am getting a lot out of it – I’ve become more involved with my mosque (was reluctant before as it’s an hour and 40 minutes away), and being more active in the wider community, so that’s good. And I’m less prone to getting angry while driving now too, and getting better at controlling my emotional outbursts. Now, if I can apply the lessons taught on Wednesday night at the mosque into my life, I’ll be a lot happier!
Great stuff. I’ve always found that Ramadan is the perfect time to do some spiritual “spring cleaning” and re-connect with the important stuff. However as you rightly point out, the challenge is to carry that through into your life after Ramadan is over.
Exactly. That’s going to be difficult, but as we’re taught (by the previous Imam*, Sultan Mohammed Shah), one may do a physical fast every day during Ramadan, but for a true believer, the task is to do the spiritual fast every day of your life.
*I’m a Shia Ismaili Muslim for anyone keeping track. We believe in a hereditary line of guidance from the line of Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and his cousin `Ali. Our emphasis is on balance in daily life between the worldly and the spiritual and our practice puts great emphasis on spiritual search.